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Bruno Giacosa Dinner at Legacy Records
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Aug 2023
This Bruno Giacosa retrospective and dinner, part of our ten-year anniversary celebration, was a great opportunity to go back and visit a wide range of benchmark wines from one of Piedmont’s most illustrious producers. To be honest, I had a hard time narrowing the selection down to a reasonable number of wines for a single evening. I chose to focus on vintages from Giacosa’s prime, wines that remain the reference points for the estate.
Bartolo Mascarello 1955 to…from Magnum
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Jul 2023
When it came time to decide on the Rare Wine Dinner for La Festa del Barolo in 2023, the year of our tenth anniversary, there was only one choice. Bartolo Mascarello was the first grower I met in Piedmont. Mascarello spent several hours with me that afternoon in a wide-ranging discussion that touched on politics, culture and, eventually, wine. It was an important moment, a moment in which I began to understand that the wines I loved so much were deeply shaped by the people who crafted them.
Nebbiolo Shines in Alto Piemonte, Carema & Valtellina
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Jun 2023
It’s an exciting time to explore the small appellations that make up Northern Italy’s Alto Piemonte, Carema and Valtellina districts. There was a period, not too long ago, when many wines in these regions were either lackluster or muddled by overly pushed winemaking that obscured terroir. Outstanding wines were very much the exception rather than the rule. That has changed dramatically in recent years through a combination of dynamic young estates that have brought tremendous energy to the mix and older, more established names also raising the bar. Quite simply, I have never tasted more riveting, breathtaking wines from these appellations than I have over the last six months or so.
Vinous Table: Guido Ristorante, Piedmont, Italy
Vinous Table, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2022
Guido Ristorante remains one of my very favorite spots in Piedmont. Food, service and hospitality are absolutely top-notch.
Piedmont Within Reach
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2022
Piedmont is full of excitement these days, more than I have ever seen in 25 years of visiting the region. The rapid escalation of prices and dwindling availability of the region’s top wines can be discouraging, but it needn’t be, as Piedmont has so much to offer beyond the most highly coveted Barolos and Barbarescos. This report covers a wide range of wines that deliver plenty of Piedmont soul at prices that are accessible.
Focus on Barbaresco – A Close Look at 2019 & 2020
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Oct 2022
Nebbiolo is a fascinating variety because it is so transparent, so nuanced. The essence of site, vintage and a grower’s approach all come through loud and clear. Readers will find a number of gorgeous wines in both 2019 and 2020, but these vintages require careful selection, as they are somewhat inconsistent. That said, Barbaresco remains a terrific hunting ground for wines of place that in most cases remain very reasonably priced in today's world.
The 2018 Barolos, Part 2
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Oct 2022
Two thousand and eighteen remains a mixed vintage that reflects the challenges of a growing season marked by heavy spring rains, intense summer heat and unbalanced weather during the final phase of ripening. There are some gorgeous 2018s out there, but finding them will take a bit of work. The best 2018s are beautifully perfumed, mid-weight Barolos that will drink well early.
2021 Barolo en Primeur Charity Auction
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Sep 2022
I am delighted to once again host the Barolo en Primeur Charity Auction, being held simultaneously in New York City and Grinzane Cavour on Friday, October 28 at 12pm New York time and 6pm Piedmont time. This is a rare opportunity to acquire 2021 Barolo ahead of release. Some of the lots will be sold as single barrels, as they were last year, while others are collections of smaller lots from various producers, organized by village. All the wines will be adorned with special labels designed by artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Cellar Favorite: 2010 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, May 2022
Luca Roagna’s 2010 Barbaresco Pajè is one of the Barbarescos we featured in a recent Roagna masterclass that kicked off this year’s La Festa del Piemonte; the other two were the 2014 and 2016 editions. From the moment I open the bottle, I know we are in for a treat.
Alto Piemonte, Valtellina & Points North
Italy: North, featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Mar 2022
It is easy to get discouraged these days, as so many reference point wines continue to soar out of reach of the average consumer. But, there are still regions where the savvy wine lover can find truly distinctive wines; wines of place that are both compelling and reasonably priced. Inquisitive readers will find much to explore in the wines of Alto Piemonte, Valtellina and other nearby appellations.